The 11 Best Movies to See Over Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving is the official start to a season full of food, family, and booze. Sometimes, it's easy to get a little too much of all of those things. If you need an escape, the movies are a great place to go (unless, you know, you had too much to drink... sober up, then try the movies). The good news is that this year there's a little bit for everyone: boxing legacies and gay conversion therapy and British period films. Hollywood has everything, you guys! Below are seven of the best you can indulge in after the pumpkin pie is gone.

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Widows

Feeling a little dark in the holiday spirit this year? The Viola Davis-led cast of women who have to pick up where their con-job husbands left off are here for you. With critically acclaimed performances from Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Erivo, Widows (out November 16) proves that dark action movies aren't just a man's game.

Instant Family

Also out November 16, Instant Family is a good one for the, um, family. With Mark Wahlberg and comedic genius Rose Byrne at the helm as a married couple ready to take on becoming foster parents, Instant Family is a sweet Thanksgiving offering that reminds you that no matter how complicated or unique, family is something special.

Robin Hood

Coming out just before Turkey Day, Taron Edgerton and Jamie Foxx give you their fresh take on Robin Hood with some serious archery and training scenes that give way to how Robin Hood came to be the man we know him to be in all his iterations.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

A follow up to the smash hit (pun intended) Wreck It Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet is the much-needed follow up to John C. Reilly's incredible voice work. This one is a solid choice for the kids, especially if you're looking for someone to blame for wanting to see the best animated film out this holiday season.

Creed II

Celebrate Thanksgiving in the most 2018 way possible: fighting Russians. Adonis is doing what any good son does—defending his father's honor after being killed by a Russian boxer. How will he do it? Fighting his son. Creed II is bound to take away one of the biggest box offices of the season, and if it's anything like Creed, there's really no need to explain why.

Green Book

Also out just before Thanksgiving, Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen unite to create one of the most thoughtful films of the year: a white bodyguard chauffeur for a prominent black pianist. Does it feel a little bit like Driving Ms. Daisy in reverse? Sure. But considering the state of the world, it seems that we haven't gotten the point yet.

The Favourite

And finally, if you took a couple days to make it out of the house, The Favourite makes a slightly late debut, dropping into theaters on Friday, November 23—AKA Black Friday. Why is that relevant? Because The Favourite is all about rivalry, getting what you want, and being a little dark while you do it. Also, it's a British period piece, so of course they snuck around the most American holiday. Psh, red coats.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

You might not love that the latest in J.K. Rowling's wizarding world features Johnny Depp (in fact, nobody really seems to be that excited about him), but the rest of the cast is stacked. Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, and others play both sides of the magical battle lines in this latest prequel to the Harry Potter franchise.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Melissa McCarthy enters the Oscar race with her performance as Lee Israel, the biographer who comes upon hard times in early '90s New York. Struggling to sell another book and behind on her rent, Israel discovers the market for literary collectables—particularly letters from famous writers—and begins to sell forged correspondence from the likes of Noel Coward, Fanny Brice, and Dorothy Parker.

Overlord

Nazis are objectively bad, a truth we sadly have to keep reminding ourselves in 2018. So this WWII-set historical horror film feels particularly timely. A team of American paratroopers are dropped behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day, where they discover a group of Nazi scientists who are running some crazy and terrifying experiments on the locals.

A Star Is Born

Maybe you need to see it for the first time, or maybe you're considering another trip to see Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sing "Shallow" once again. Either way, the romantic melodrama event of the season is still in theaters—the cinematic equivalent of Thanksgiving leftovers. Pack a turkey sandwich and settle in for some comfort viewing.

Justin KirklandJustin Kirkland is a writer for Esquire, where he primarily writes about entertainment, television, and movies.

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